Rainbow Dash groaned as the bright lights on the ceiling burned into her skull. Squeezing her eyes shut, she rolled over onto her side, wincing slightly at the feeling of her wing squeezing uncomfortably against her side. Slowly opening her eyes again, she squinted at the black slate resting at the side of her bed, strange symbols spread across its face. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was writing, and she was just looking at it sideways. Turning her head to the other side, she felt the white pillow her head was resting on compress down against the thin mattress beneath her. “Ugh. I’m in the hospital?” She sat up, reaching up one hoof to rub at her mane, only to find empty space on top of her head. “What the hay happened to my mane?” A purple blob stirred by the side of her bed. It took Rainbow Dash a moment to focus on it, blinking as she suddenly realized that it had a horn and eyes. “Twilight?” The alicorn blinked a few times before her own eyes focused on Rainbow Dash. “You’re awake! Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay!” A moment later Rainbow Dash found herself wrapped into a rather painful hug, wincing as broad purple hooves wrapped themselves around her wings. “Ow! Not so tight!” “Sorry!” Twilight sat back on her haunches, smiling apologetically before her eyes darted over Rainbow Dash’s covered form. “Oh no, nothing feels broken, does it? They said they were keeping you in a coma until you healed, but—“ “Wait, keeping me in a coma? Why would they [i]keep[/i] me in a coma? Aren’t comas bad?” Rainbow Dash scowled, looking around the room. It didn’t look much like Ponyville hospital – but then, she hasn’t been in Ponyville, had she? Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof to her head, as if to ward away the fog that seemed to be lurking in her brain, before she blinked, remembering what Twilight said. She carefully shifted around in the bed, stretching out each of her six limbs in turn. “They seem okay.” “Oh, good.” Twilight smiled. “Where am I?” Rainbow Dash glanced around the room again, her eyes returning to the slate next to her bed, flicking over the words. She lifted a hoof to rub at her eyes, then read them again. “It says I’m in Ponyville? This doesn’t [i]look[/i] like Ponyville hospital.” “Oh, well, things are a bit different now.” “I’ll say.” Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof to poke at the strange slate, blinking as a gray spot appeared underneath her hoof. Pulling it away from the screen, the spot lingered for a moment before it vanished. “Wait, wasn’t I just in Canterlot?” Twilight brightened. “Oh, good. So you do remember!” “Sort of. I remember doing the pierced heart. I… hit someone? And then I remember…” Rainbow Dash groaned. “Did I really crash into the stands?” “Through them, actually. You were going pretty fast.” Twilight smiled wanly. “Ugh. Is that why they cut off my mane? Was it all messed up or something?” Twilight looked away. “Not exactly.” Rainbow Dash looked over at her friends, her eyes focusing on her again. She blinked, then blinked again, staring. “Twilight? Are my eyes messed up, or is your mane doing the Princess Celestia thing?” Twilight laughed self-consciously, lifting her hoof up to her shimmering, rippling mane. “Heh. Yeah. It started doing that a while ago.” “A while ago?” Rainbow Dash rolled over, using one hoof to lever herself up. “I don’t remember it doing that.” A puff of air left Twilight’s mouth. “You’ve… been out for a while, Rainbow.” Rainbow Dash’s wings shuddered against her sides. “A while? How long is a while? A month? A year?” Twilight trembled for a moment before closing her eyes, lifting one hoof to her chest and letting out a long, slow breath. Her eyes opened again and she smiled as she extended a hoof against Rainbow’s chest. “They all thought I was crazy, trying to save you. But I knew we’d be able to fix you eventually.” “Twilight?” Rainbow Dash swallowed. “You didn’t answer my question.” Twilight’s hoof shook against Rainbow Dash’s chest. “You were hurt so badly. They said there was nothing anypony could do. But I knew that things were getting better. I just needed more time.” “Twilight—“ “So I used a cockatrice to—“ “Twilight!” Tears shone in purple eyes as Twilight met her gaze. “It’s been a hundred and twelve years.”